Hornady lnl vs Dillon 550/650

[kostyanj]

Looking to add a member to my bench. Wanted to get some input on what the users of these presses thought. I was starting to drink the Dillon cool aid until I saw an exploded primer tube. The Hornady primer system seems better engineered. I have about 5 years of progressive reloading experience so I definitely do want a progressive.

I'm looking for the following criteria:
Speed
Reliability
Consistency
Ease of changing calibers

This press will be my dedicated pistol caliber press. So I'm looking at 2 calibers right now : 9 and .45acp.

Thoughts/opinions/suggestions?

[Unclenick]

AFAIK, the exploding primer pick-up tube can happen in any system that uses primer tubes, be it Dillon or the LNL. It is believed due to primer dust in the tube accumulated over many fill cycles. That dust may be prevented from accumulating excessively by running an alcohol swab through the tubes every once in awhile to remove the dust. Very rare events, but it's worth taking that precaution as insurance against them. Once primers are actually in the primer feed tube, the shield tube surrounds them so that primer gas and ejecta are directed upward in the event of ignition. The filler tubes don't have shields in either system, though. You just have to keep them clean.

[drklude]

I'll throw out a vote for the Dillon 650. I have a few thousand rounds through mine without a single complaint.

[praetorian97]

Its the Ford Chevy argument. The only definitive answer is the Dillon 1050 is better than the 650 and LNL AP.

I run the LNL AP only because it was right there in the store. Its got some perks over the 650.

I reload three different variants of 45 acp. Moly 230 RN, FMJ 230 RN, and Moly 200 SWC. All three need a different seater die due to depths and shape. Its a quick disconnect in my LNL on that one die. Even with Dillons tool head you still dont gain ease of quick change like in the LNL for single or dual dies.

Overall I believe the Dillon has more cool features than the Hornady.

[ak40]

I have a 650 and have put thousands through it with no trouble

[Revolver1]

Wouldn't trade my Dillon 550 for Nothing!

[Farmland]

1.) Speed

Any progressive press will give you more speed than you need or can handle.

2.) Reliability

Loaded ammo depends on the operator. Each machine is equal period. Do a big search and you will fine each will break down in different areas.

3.) Consistency

No difference in the rounds you are loading, each will be great.

4.) Ease of changing calibers

No large difference at all unless you need times for the 100 yard sprint. Each is easy one has one or two more steps but in a in nut shell nothing that is going to be more time than the other that a normal person would even consider this a selling point.

As owners of both there is no major or minor argument for either one over the other. Be color blind and buy on the basis of availability and the style that you best like. When it comes down to reloading each fits the bill perfectly.

[greentick]

Wouldn't trade my Dillon 550 for Nothing!

might just add another!

[acb]

Check out rcbs pro 2000 to it is super easy on caliber changes and cranks out the ammo . The aps primer strips are pretty much fail proof in my experience . Had mine for about two years and love it and rcbs customer service is top notch.

[jmorris]

I have had two LNL's a pre and post EZ Ject, sold them both. The 650's were better machines.

This is a video of one of my 650's, like an LNL could only dream of loading.

http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmo...9706b.mp4.html

[mjes92]

Fan of the 550. Very Happy with it. Wish it dropped stick powder a little more consistant. Unbelieviably accutate with spherical. A friend has an older Hornady. Works well but slightly more fussy.

[orionengnr]

Had a Hornady, and three Dillons.
No comparison, in my experience.

[rajbcpa]

I owned a new Hornady LNL and a Dillon 550b.

After 5 months of total frustration and dozens of calls to Hornady customer service, I gave up. It simply would not run. There were more than 10 serious issues and constant breakages.

The Dillon 550B runs flawlessly. It is plenty fast and I don't miss the auto indexing function that the LNL had.

In the last year everything I have bought with the name Hornady has had issues. Even their bullet boxes contained two different weight projectiles - which scares me! Their recent quality control is non-existent.

[WESHOOT2]

I bought my Dillon XL650 (yes, some years back ) after learning that CorBon had a room-full for small runs.

I have loaded a significant amount; biggest single day was over 8,000 rds.

[Bowdog]

Dillion 550b

[Martys]

My Dillon 550B will go to the grave with me when the time comes.

[kostyanj]

Wow I didn't expect it to be so in favor of Dillon. If only it were possible to test drive them somehow...

[Unclenick]

If you belong to a club or if there's a bulletin board at your range, I expect you can find people who own the machines who will let you observe and try operating them through a few cycles when they are loading anyway.

The main difference in my head has to do with rifle loading. If you intend to load bottleneck rifle cases, the Dillon 550 has the advantage that because it is indexed manually it is easier to single-stage parts of the loading operation as needed.

For example, if I've fired some military brass, I want to resize and decap and then I need to take the case out the press and remove the primer crimp before priming. After resizing is also the point at which the the bottle neck case has grown most. That's because the expanded brass in the shoulder of the case has been funneled up into the neck by the sizing die, so that's the point at which I want to trim before proceeding further. I also clean the rifle cases after sizing to remove lube, but mainly to remove carbon that can contribute to barrel wear.

Common pistol cases don't grow much, so the need to trim is almost nil with them, and low pressure tapered auto pistol brass can actually shrink a little with each load cycle (I lose about half a thousandth off .45 Auto brass at target load levels with each load cycle). The .45 Auto runs at pressures low enough that failing to remove carbon from primer pockets doesn't seem to affect barrel wear visibly. Overall, pistol and revolver cartridges are easiest to load progressively, as they require the least special treatment and handling.

One other thing. While I'm sure Hornady customer service is good, Dillon's is pretty much unparalleled, IME. I've been running a Dillon of one kind or another since 1990, and when you've put tens of thousands of rounds through a machine, including a lot of experimenting, you eventually have a part break. I've actually managed to crack a couple of castings. But no matter how major or minor or even if I've just worn out the plastic feed lips on a primer tube, I call Dillon and the part leaves them the same day on its way to me entirely on their dime. They don't ask to get the old parts back. They don't make me explain what stupid thing I did that broke it. They just send the par right now, and they will stay on the phone with you, toll free, for as long as it takes to talk you through a repair or adjustment.

[floydster]

The priming system on the Hornady LNL AP is a total pita--believe me.

[iShoot17]

I am on the Dillon train..particularly the XL650. I absolutely love mine! It only does plinking ammo though, the precision stuff is up to the RockChuckers!

[Big4Freedom]

I've had my Dillon 550 for eight months or so and zero issues. I bucked up a bit and bought the toolhead kit for each caliber but, that way, you never have to spend more than a couple of minutes changing the calibers and getting each calibrated. I switch out and QA my powder delivery, and roll. The Dillon rep who sold me mine over the phone talked me out of the 650 due to it taking longer to change calibers. Also talked me out of brass feeder. I've been very happy with that advice thus far, not sure how big of a deal that is really. I can load 100 new, unprimed brass, cautiously, in roughly 2.5 songs on my ipone...1 song if Stranglehold, Free Bird, Stairway to Heaven, or In a gadda da vida. It's nothing to do 2K on a saturday if I'm really obsessive knocking 'em out, supplies permitting...

[David Bachelder]

I do not own a Dillon and I never have used one. I do have a LNL but I haven't had it very long. Maybe 500 rounds through it to date. With supplies as hard to get as they are I doubt if I'll push a lot of ammo through it any time soon.

I did have a little trouble with it at first, most of these problems were created by myself. Now that I know the press a little better we seem to get along well.

Maybe I'd like a Dillon too. I can't say because I don't have that experience, and I most likely never will.

I'm wondering how many of these opinions are from people that have actually used both. I'd guess few.

[45_auto]

One way to help you make your decision would be to look at what people who compete at a national level and shoot literally thousands of rounds per week prefer. You can bet that they're looking for speed, reliability, and consistency at that level.

2012 IDPA National Championship Equipment Survey (presses are about a third of the way down):

http://www.aafgidpa.com/admin/equpment_survey.htm

Reloading Press

Dillon: 189 (81 were 650's, 45 were 550's)
Hornady: 11
Lee: 10
RCBS: 2

I've been using a Dillon 650 since the early 90's, it's easily loaded over half a million rounds. Only problem I've had was the handle bracket broke about 6 months ago. It's a pretty heavy casting, but I guess approaching a million cycles was enough to fatigue it till it broke. Called Dillon, the guy on the phone laughed and had me a new one here in 2 days.

Originally Posted by praetorian97

I reload three different variants of 45 acp. Moly 230 RN, FMJ 230 RN, and Moly 200 SWC. All three need a different seater die due to depths and shape. Its a quick disconnect in my LNL on that one die. Even with Dillons tool head you still dont gain ease of quick change like in the LNL for single or dual dies.

I only use 230 LRN in my 45's, but I have several different seater dies for 357, 44, 45 Colt and 9mm. The seating die lengths are all preset with the locking ring, screw in and out of the toolhead just like changing dies on a single stage. Takes about 5 seconds to screw one out, another 5 seconds to screw the other one in.

To the OP, if you live anywhere near a reloader with any kind of press, everyone that I know would be more than glad to let you run a few hundred rounds. Kind of hard to tell where you are without at least a state in your location, though!

[rajbcpa]

Look at some videos at U-tube. The progressive presses appear to be fairly simple devices. However, they are not.

There is a lot of stuff going on at the same time with a progressive. That means you want a press that is very well designed and that is proven.

From one who has owned both Hornady and Dillon, the Dillon is a much better design and is the clear better choice. You will pay a tad more, but in the long run, you will avoid problems.

The numbers for those who compete professionally and who use Dillon presses is very telling.

[kostyanj]

Every time I think I've made up my mind, I read another review that makes me flip. I've eliminated the 550 from the running because I want auto indexing.
The one thing that still draws me to the lnl is the 1/2 stroke indexing. Seems less likely to slosh powder if really moving.

As I said in my original post, I've used progressive presses for years and this would be an addition to my bench and would take over the pistol duty.